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Michu/Zhi Dynasty
'Michu' The Celestial Empire of Michu, commonly called Michu, is a constitutional Monarchy based in Shaotai. It is bordered on the north by Treko, on the south by Kanadorika's territories. Michu has the largest population in Etharia, with an estimated population of 1.4 billion people. Michu comprises of Hundreds of constituencies, with decentralised economy based on market syndicalism. Michu, Zhi, Great Yongsheng, the nation has existed in some form for almost times immemorial. Even more strangely, the dynasty has always remained in power, providing a strong sense of legitimacy to the monarch of the time. Michu's strong culture, architectural style, and population size ensures it some importance in Etharian affairs. It maintains good relations with Kanadorika and Ochea, and hostile ones with Treko, due to their seizure of Gantsu and historical rivalry. The current state of Michu was formed in 2019, after a swift coup and civil war against the newly coronated Shensheng Empress, though now, Michu is one of the only democratic nations in Etharia, with a constitution that protects rights, and a strong parliament that represents the entire nation of Michu, with over a thousand seats in parliament. Etymology Yongsheng Ulanara is the name of the dynasty, from it's founding, it has used this name. It has it's foundations around 2600bc, when many rival tribes existed, the Yongsheng Ulanara were an ancient clan of the Weishun people, who unified a collection of tribes into a Kingdom. The Yongsheng Ulanara went on to bring stability, and generally good governance to the people. The name, Yongsheng Ulanara, is a traditional clan name, but has now become deified with so many years of rule. The Zhi Dynasty, rather than a direct change of Dynasties, reformed almost constantly till the end of the true Imperial era in 2018, despite the revolution there being extremely minor in comparison to the shocks the nation has endured before this. The standard way to refer to a citizen of Michu depends on their ethncity, History Foundation The history of Michu is vast, starting in the mythical times of the Yi dynasty, with the first Ten Emperors, Chunta, Huat, Sicha, Wanto, Xuanting, Yuron, Danabu, Chowti, Aberdee, and Tongsho. These ten men led the Empire of Yi, which composed only a fraction of Michu's current territory, to prosperity. Blessing the people with agriculture, defence, technology, health, medicine, and according to Yongsheng Ulanara folklore, the elements. The last of the Ten Emperors passed the throne to Emperor Kanzh, who was a moderate ruler of the Yi dynasty, but left without a child. This led to a large conflict, with ambitious generals, religious leaders, and guild leaders trying to assert their authority. Yi fell into decline, and the people became desperate. With no clear winner in sight, a tributary state called the Yongsheng Ulanara Dynasty, sent their army to pacify the people of Yi, and asserted their right to rule over all Yi and the Weishun Clan. Once this was complete, the foreign Monarch declared the rise of the Yongsheng Ulanara Dynasty. The Yongsheng Ulanara were a Weishun clan, rather then ethnically Zheng, who composed the vast majority of their territory. The Weishun people continued to enforce their traditions on the Zheng for centuries, as the Weishun Queue was mandated by successive Emperors. Despite early rebellions against the new central government, such as the Red Pythons Rebellion, where militant Zheng guilds revolted in protest of Yongsheng Ulanara's economic philosophy of tight control over the sea, to prevent loyalists from staging a counter invasion against their new domains. Another prominent example was the True Yi Revolts, where over a hundred year period, the Kingdom would be wracked by many claiming to be the legitimate claimant to the Yi Dynasty, and seeking to end the rule of the Weishun. This revolt even pushed into Shaotai, and the third battle of Shaotai was won by Hohori, King of Yongsheng Ulanara personally. As well as physical revolts, the Dynasty had to deal with a shortage of bureaucrats for two decades, after the Yi era bureaucracts boycotted working for the Weishun, out of racial distain. The King enticed them over time with a combination of financial incentives, military threats, and the construction of a complete dictionary of all Zheng characters in an organic document. This document still exists in Shaotai in the modern day, and is regarded as a national treasure. The bureaucrats were won over after the King offered them a chance to construct the History of Yi, A huge pice of historical marvel, where the bureaucrats worked for months on compiling the history of Yi. While biased in favour of the Yi, the King accepted it and gradually intergrated them into the new regime. Unfortunately, the History of Yi is not very reliable, due to the death of virtually all the original bureaucrats, scholars and people of interest who lived in the Yi itself. The reliability of the History of Yi is the subject of frequent debate in modern times. = = Once this was complete, the Dynasty's stability allowed for a large amount of cultural innovation, developing many rival philosophies and political doctrines as to where Yongsheng Ulanara would go in the future. The Kings played off different philosophies with a preference for ones that justify their rule. Quickly thrown out was the Yi doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven, where rule was absolute, but justified purely by benevolent government. This was because it allowed the replacement of the Dynasty, and the decision of how benevolent government was decided was not to be trusted to mere commoners. Instead, the Kingdom employed the doctrine of Divine Familial Obligation. Divine Familial Obligation has two varieties, on a general level, and on a governmental level. On a governmental level, Divine Familial Obligation asserts that Heaven has appointed the Dynasty to rule the nation (and dejure, the world) for all eternity, Heaven can never be wrong, thus, the Dynasty can never be replaced. The legitimacy of the Yongsheng Ulanara Dynasty was assured using this system, and the Divine Familial Obligation concept is still in use till the modern day. On a general level, Divine Familial Obligation was an early form of totalitarianism. Heaven chooses, through the dynasty, what one's family will be doing with their lives, for eternity. In effect, the King of Yongsheng Ulanara had the authority to appoint entire families to whatever job or position he wished, as Heaven commanded him to do so. For the first few centuries, the economy prospered as the King was able to meet the people's needs and divine labour appropriately, and this was seen as Heaven being correct in choosing the Yongsheng Ulanara Dynasty. Eventually, however, in 1342bc, when the King Torgan became overly focused on his own decrepit llfestyle, the general form of Divine Familial Organisation created a feudal system, when the task of appointing families to tend Lord's land became devolved. Regional Lords grew their own powerbases, as Torgan's three sons, Dorgon, Yaozi, and Nurhali engaged in a succession war. Once Torgan died in 1123, these three sons joined different factions, and the realm was engulfed in civil war for the next one hundred and fifty years. Roses in the Summer Period With the death of King Torgan in 1123 due to ingesting a high dose of mercury, the Yongsheng Ulanara Kingdom fell into a huge civil war, lasting four hundred years. Dorgon, the King's oldest son, retreated to the Duchy of Zhang, led by Duke Chen of Chu. Zhang profited heavily from the use of a militaristic, central bureaucracy, They were a Zheng dynasty in the South of Yongsheng Ulanara, and fought to install Dorgon as a puppet King, or just replace Yongsheng Ulanara with a new dynasty. Their main rivals was the openly anti Weishun Ma, a large collection of Zheng that were dissatisfied with foreign domination. They supported no candidate for the throne besides themselves, and were able to levy the most men. Their commanders were notoriously corrupt, however. Ma was defeated relatively quickly by Zhang in 1094bc, when their King was personally slain in the battle of Shangon. This battle led to the collapse of Ma, and their assimilation into Zhang. The Zhang began exterminating those who would not join their armies, or provide some service to them, particularly the wounded or the elderly. The Massacre of Changyan was the most obvious example, when the Zhang executed several thousand inhabitants for a low contribution to the war effort. Another faction was the Jin, who started as mere vassals to the Zhang, but took the Ma's place as the main rivals when they participated in the partitioning of the Ma and captured the former capital. Jin focused in Tanghui, and once settling down as a functionally independent state, invited Yaozi's line of the Yongsheng Ulanara family to eventually rule the reunified Kingdom. Yaozi had originally been pledged his loyalty to Dorgon after losing a hunting tournament to him in the first year of the struggle. Yaozi was not a competent negotiator, and he tried to find a beneficiary, but not many of the factions wanted him on the throne. He stayed as a petty noble in Zhang till he died. His grandson, Liaogun gladly took his token forces to join Jin, despite being only seventeen. The young pretender to the throne of Yongsheng Ulanara started as a pawn, only a tool for legitimacy among the Jin, but eventually rose to the top, demonstrating strong manipulation skills and a penchant for merciless efficiency. Jin spent many lives trying to wrest control of the land from Zhang, with no clear winner in sight. The smaller lords declared their neutrality, or sought to rise to power themselves. The amount of deaths in this conflict was staggering, millions fell victim to the war, disease, famine and greed. Factions like Wen and Chi rose purely to profit from the conflict, switching sides with their monarchs for money from either Zhang or Jin. They were notoriously violent and their generals were often descended directly from the old Ma school of war. The other faction of note, was the Zhi. The Zhi were the Weishun's true dynasty, led by Nurhali. Nurchali was the youngest of the three brothers, and seen as a non threat to anyone. He retreated to the Weishun heartlands, and began rallying support from the nobility, who saw the chaos in the Kingdom as a real threat to their power. While Zhi would not rise till around a hundred years into the conflict, building their strength and reputation amongst the people of Yongsheng Ulanara, they would make their mark in 1053. A foreign noble, from what would eventually become Kanadorika, arrived in the court of Zhi. He supported Queen Ama in battle, and led Zhi to victory over a large Zhang army at the battle of Shaotai, presenting the commander's head to the Queen. For this, this noble would become a landed lord and trusted adviser to the Zhi. This marks the beginning of the Zhi Period, which will last until 2018. Several more victories would come under Queen Ama's rule, and the newly anointed Marquis of Extended Grace Shang Cao. After the decisive battle of Luoying, when the descendent of Zaozi, King Bao of Jin, was killed by an arrow to the neck. His head, and the arrow that killed him, was bought back to Shaotai, and presented to Queen Ama. Both of these artefacts are available for public viewing in the modern day, at the Shang - Zhi Museum. Queen Ama offered pardon to King Bao's children and his subjects, so long as they swore fealty to the state of Zhi. They accepted. However, when the children were bought before the Queen, they were beheaded and thrown to the dogs, to prevent any further wars from Jin. Now, the fates smiled down on Zhi. While Queen Ama would die in 994bc, she is fondly remembered as a hero of Michu. The next sovereign of Zhi, would be the last. King Taiping of Zhi started his reign by pushing his advantage against Zhang. Winning several victories, Zhi's advance was finally halted at the battle of Changhai, when Zhang's Duke led his army masterfully. The war stalled for a further fourty years. Zhang was broken internally by civil war, the people, tired of the never ending war, turned on Zhang. Blaming the Dorgon line of the Yongsheng Ulanara line for their failures, a mass revolt began against both Zhang and Zhi, calling themselves Later Ma, these rebels saw the Weishun people as evil barbarians, and were unified in their cause against their domination again. For a time, Zhi and Zhang fought on the same side, against the new threat of the Later Ma, with legions of men and internal conflict. Zhang inevitably started to falter, and thus, the last "King" of Zhang, with the Duke's approval, pledged his territory, and his loyalty to the King of Zhi, in exchange for a pardon and a pension. King Taiping accepted this offer, and the succession to Yongsheng Ulanara was clear once more. In an elaborate ceremony in Shaotai, the King kowtowed before his ancestors and heaven, accepting the mantle of theological supremacy. The Divine Familial Obligation doctrine was adapted further, to enshrine the Lord of Zhi with justified power over the entire world, to bring civilisation to all in reach. The heavens killed the King of Zhi, and, he rose once again as the Emperor Xuangong of Zhi, Master of the Yongsheng Ulanara Dynasty, in 973. (宣宫皇帝的支国和永生朝) The last hundred years of the war would be fought between the empowered Zhi, and the Later Ma. Xuangong ruled his Empire well, putting an end to the revolts, and was revered by his people as a benevolent ruler. He ruled as Emperor for twenty years, but would not see the end of the Roses in the Summer Period. His son, the Yingli Emperor would finish of the Ma, and bring about an age of peace, for several centuries. Shang's exploits under Queen Ama were so frequent, in battles that were so one sided yet were still won, combined with an urban myth about the man that he slew the Leviathan, an ancient figure in Zheng folk religions. Additionally, the Imperial society does not recognise any other Emperor outside of it's own borders. This tradition is still upheld today, it is a strong taboo to refer to a foreign ruler as an Emperor. It is more customary to use "Wang" (King or Prince). The one exception, is the ruler of Kanadorika, or the nation of Kanadorika generally. The fame and hero status of Shang, and his foreign background, has led the term Shang to be applied to Kanadorikans worthy of the Empire's respect. The Keisar/Emperor of Kanadorika is generally referred to as Great Shang (大商, Da Shang). Sunrise Zhi Healing the Society Sunrise Zhi was a period of healing, and fear. The Empire would focus on reintergrating the Zhang nobles, and embracing a more Confucian and Zheng Folk religion based government form. This came with a more conservative society, that would last till 431AD. The Emperor encouraged nobles to make money in trade, giving them a financial reason to back the throne. The crown took on a more mediating role for the first few decades, gradually eroding the power of the Lords. The Confederation of Aisinhao would rise to prominence in this time, as the Weishun lords required additional labour, and so loosened the Segregation Laws. This led to Aisinhao gaining extreme wealth for a time. The Confederation fell however, when the peasents rose up against the oppressive nobles, who had locked them in serfdom for their own benefit. Aisinhao would be divided into Xiaoguo, and a rump Aisinhao. Xiaoguo was fully Zheng, after mass purges of Weishun took place. It exercised a bizzare form of proto communism, with communal self ownership of the farms and production facilities. This made more direct money, and the Jinma Emperor personally visited Xiaoguo. The Peasent representative kowtowed, and declared eternal loyalty to Jinma, and so the communal experiment continued for decades, as the Emperor cared little to disrupt a successful economic strategy. However, the Peasent State of Xiaoguo was destroyed by internal squabbles, as higher up peasents were enriching themselves at the expense of the workers. A deadly strain of the plague, that had arrived through malnourished crops, killed much of the population of Xiaoguo. Once the area was decontaminated, the rump state of Aisinhao, with the backing of the Zhaojin Emperor, reannexed the territory into Aisinhao, and more traditional forms of feudalism were employed. Yuan Imperium In 1254, the Khanate of Yuan would rise to become a threat to Zhi, who had united in 1242 under the Great Khan Tengris of the Buhabi Dynasty. After several punitive attacks on the Yuan by ambitious Zhi generals who desired to build their own powerbase by expanding their personal domains. After the general Hanzijin took his army of levied peasents to attack Yuan, and burned the village of Huduviu down to the ground, and executed the Khan's wife, and three of his children. He took their heads back to the Imperial Court, currently stationed in Luoyang, due to the actions during the Middle Zhi, and presented their heads to the Xianyeng Emperor, who was dispassionate on national affairs, and had grown decadent after several centuries of relative peace and stagnation. Though summaries on the reign of Xianyeng are disputed heavily, Zhi sources vindicated him as a great conservative administrator, who did well to conserve the Empire in a time of peace, while more contemporary Yuan sources decry him as an incompetent, lazy and undisiplined ruler. Nevertheless, Tengris declared an "unrelenting, holy war against the false lords and Emperors in Zhi" and made a sacrifice to the Sky Gods, promising his victory to his ancestors. When Zhi spies heard of this declaration, and the ensuing rallying of the Khanate's forces, Xianyeng mocked him, declaring the Khanate "A speck of dust that shames Heaven and shall be crushed, should you touch civilisation with your unwashed hands." The Emperor sent Hanzijin to the frontier, to put down the Khan. The Imperial army was utterly crushed by the Yuan forces, who began a ruthless advance into the Zhi, aided by masses of Zheng defectors, led by ambitious local generals who desired status under a new regime. Tengris managed to burn Luoyang to the ground, and his son, Khan Sishigugge established himself as a pretender to the Celestial Throne, winning critical battles against the conscripted armies of the Empire. Mass defections led to the Yuan Imperium, a period of Yuan dominantion over Zhi's affairs, as the true Emperor retreated to the Weishun heartlands, where the professional troops of the Empire were able to stall Yuan's advance. The rump state of Zhi remained in power in Weishun, but occasionally paid tribute to the Yuan while preparing for retaliation. The capital of the Yuan Imperium was Tengerleg, where they constructed an exhorberant palace using enslaved workers from the east of Zhi. This palace is still known as the Yuan Palace today. The first Khan, Sishigugge, would spend much of his reign consolidating his territory, waging an almost constant war with Zhi loyalists, and later, seperatists for long dead nations and crowns. His grandson, the Qingxian Emperor, who he would appoint directly in 1275 for his skill in horseback riding and administration, would rule the Yuan Imperium for thirty years, and bring it into it's most prosperous era, reforming the military to be bound to Yuan officials and loyalist Zheng generals, and bringing in tighter economic controls under a more centralised model. The Imperial Examinations were banned, as the officials they produced were too attached to Zhi's philosophical system. Instead, officials were selected a congress of "Horse Lords" who would test officials on horseback ability, historical and philosophical knowledge, and general survival skills. This allowed much cronyism in the system, but allowed for short term effective defence of the realm, who focused on developing light and heavy cavalry for the Empire's defence. The Imperium's existance continued regardless of the greater Yuan Empire in Treko, despite their nominal shared Empire. The culture of High Yuan empathised obedience, yet independent thinking within a Buddhist framework, with more Yuan folkreligion being used at higher levels of government. High Yuan donates the reign of Qingxian (1275 - 1306) to Mingdao (1320 - 1343) and is described as an era of suprising prosperity, as the Imperium enhances the role of women in Imperial society, bringing a more liberal age for the Empire, while bringing down harsh economic regulations, that stunt the economic standards of the Zhi till the 1500s. Under the Yuan Imperium, the library of Tengerleg would be constructed, the greatest source of knowledge in the world at that point, to replace the library of Luoyang that was burned and pillaged. The Imperium made strides into mathematics and philosophy, developing the foundations for the modern Yuan state. Security was so good during the High Yuan, that a woman could allegedly walk from one section of the Empire to another, unmolested. Additionally, Yuan architecture, art and aesthetics would stay with Zhi in some form for centuries, despite the anti Yuan movements under the Late Zhi. Many in Yuan still see the days of the Yuan Imperium as their people's greatest achievement, the decadence of the Imperial Court was noted, but ignored eventually, and much debautchery continued, and even expanded under the Yuan. Prostitution became more wide spread, and recreational drugs would be used more frequently to entertain courtiers. The Khans used these drugs to intoxicate foreign diplomats into giving the Imperium better deals than planned, sullying their reputation over time. Another achievement, was the explorer Marco Pilo, who explored the Yuan society and wrote many books about the mystical place he had explored, increasing interest in Zhi's culture in Eropan. He was welcomed by the Khan himself, and painted the Khan. This painting was stolen in 1923, and it's location in the modern day is unknown. Eventually, High Yuan ends, and the Dusk Yuan Period begins, where the Imperium crumbles. Widespread revolts occur over the next ten years, as a succession dispute begins with the death of the Mingdao Khan, as the Yuan nobility cares little for their people, and allow mass starvation to occur in their fiefs. In 1357, under the Qinziguang Emperor of Zhi, the Zhi remnants launched their long awaited plan to retake their territory from the Yuan, co-ordinating with anti Yuan partisans in a rare display of Weishun - Zheng solidarity, that would be cited as a precident for the Empire of Michu in 2019, allowed for the reistablishment of the Zhi over the next hundred years. Yuan would be gradually pushed back, as they were simultaniously being done so in Treko, co-incidently. This period would start the Late Zhi, and would last for the next six hundred years, as the Yongsheng Ulanara Clan reached their apex of power and prestige... Late Zhi The Qinziguang Emperor would begin a great purge of Yuan institutions when he retook the Tanghui province in the sixth battle of Luoyang, though the city was ruined, and so the Emperor issued a decree that the capital would be moved the capital of Zhi while in exile, the eternal city of Shaotai, so far to the East that will never be under threat again by foreigners. In his reign, he empathised Weishun assimilation into the Zheng population, reserving the Banners to a more defensive military role. Once these reforms were complete, he focused his efforts on calming the nation and acting as a force for stability. Qinziguang selected his thirty year old son to succeed him, and he was crowned the Daochiyu Emperor. Daochiyu cared little for the traditional rites and rituals of Zhi, though he was extremely popular with less traditional elements of society, and started a tradition of the Emperors of touring the nation anonymously to judge the status of their peoples, and use these experiences to enhance their governance. In the later years of his reign, this jolly reputation was shattered when he was caught using his position to coerce newly married women into bed. He died alone in his bed of depression and a recurring fight with cancer. Secondary Consort was raised to Empress Dowager and selected her own son as the next Emperor, Emperor Sunxiang, who was only fifthteen, and selected primarily because he had no real interest in women. A famous tale in the Sunxiang era was when a concubine was sent to accompany him to bed, he had no interest in copulation with the shy woman, and merely stayed up playing Imperial Chess and conversing with the woman. She was then raised to Noble Consort Jiang, and stayed with the Emperor till his death. She bore his children and became Empress Dowager later on. Sunxiang was an intensely active political Emperor, he spent much of his spare time reading reports, hosting court meetings, and developing his military and phyiscal prowess. Sunxiang thought it immoral that he, the Emperor of Zhi, should be physically weaker than any of his generals, as such, he dedicated himself to strengthening his body and will. He ruled for thirty four years, and Sunxiang did much to secure the borders of the Empire, pushing the Yuan forces out of the south of the nation, where resistance to both Zhi and Yuan was growing intensely. The Great Drive The Great Drives refers to the campaigns of the Sunxiang, Tangjin, Xinhua, and Hanzheng Emperors, to reconquer, pacify and expand into the South. They faced several threats, the first being the still alive Yuan forces, who while battered, would rally behind powerful regional lords to provide a defence of their ill-gotten lands, or pledge their support around fledgling warlords. The economics of the Great Drive are well documented, and was fueled near the end by pillage, conquest and exploitation of the lands took by Imperial forces. Though initially, assimilation and tolerance was the goal. The first target, was a two pronged attack on secondary capital of the Yuan Imperium, Nanyuan. (Southern Yuan) To accomplish this, the province of Nenggao was taken by the Bordered Blue Banner, the historic rival of Zhi during the sunrise period, and the home of the Lama, the sacred leader of the Buddhist faith in Etharia. The nation had fallen far in the few hundred years since the last war with Zhi, and so accepted vassalisation With this territory secured, The Nanyuan War lasted twenty years, as hundreds of Yuan warlords refused surrender or to vacate their territory. Local Zheng allegiances were split, and chaos reigned in the Jewel of Yuan until the Empire was finally able to break the defender's backs and push into Nanyuan's premier city, Ungeyuan. This city was important to the Imperial war effort because it was the biggest access the Yuan had to the Destiny River, the river that fed the South of Zhi. With this under Imperial control, and several raiding parties composed of light cavalry and partisans, Yuan supplies quickly depleted. No one who sided with the Yuan was spared, and Nanyuan was cleansed. Zhi - Hanji War for the Celestial Throne Next was the provinces of Xihou, and the internal politics of Nenggao, that would keep the Imperial Court in Shaotai occupied for centuries. Nenggao's local King, and the Lama, had almost constant struggles between each other. The Court could not simply ignore these squabbles, as the Lama had religious sway over the Buddhist population of Zhi, particularly in the Yuan provinces, with the ability to call on his followers to revolt. While the King of Nenggao was very autonomous, and would use continued anti Imperial decisions to fuel anti Zhi sentiment in the Southern provinces. The Emperor personally examined every case of dispute between the King and the Lama, and acted as the respectful master, who would keep the two in line. This gave Zhi an air of stability and authority in the South over time, as the Emperor's wise judgement prevented theological and political disputes from bursting into all out war. Anti Zhi forces united under The self annointed Hanji Empire. This Empire gave Zhi much stress, using higher quality troops to push out the border garrisons of Zhi and make a counter push into Xihou and even inspired many Zheng troops to defect. Though the vast majority stood loyally to Zhi. When Hanji was broken, and the false Emperor Zuxuan bought to Peikang, to suffer the fate all claiments to the Imperial title recieved. To be nailed to a white hot pole as they are sliced to death, with knives laced with acid. The claiment would repent his claim, to replace the laced knives with regular knives, though his suffering would be long lasting regardless. His followers would simply get lingchi, or death by a thousand cuts. A traditional punishment for treason against Heaven. With the annexation of Hanji, the Empire reached it's greatest territorial extent in the south, though the southernmost province of Kuwang, would never be truly intergrated into Zhi. The cultural distinction between assimilated Zheng and the people of Kuwang would be too great, and they gradually started to develop their own culture and identity. The Imperial court tried to break this trend in the usual manner, flood the province with Zheng people, but this started a violent civil war on a local level on two seperate occasions. They were then treated as a reservation province, until the revolution of 2018. It would be occupied in perpetuity to Kanadorika in 2018. The Humbling of Yuan In 1602, the decisive battle of Zhongdi is fought between Zhi and the Khanate of Yuan. Here the Yuan advance is repelled and the Khan's son is captured by the Wanyi Emperor's pincer attack. Once his identity was confirmed, the Emperor ordered the extermination of the stragglers. With the battering of the Khanate's forces, they retreated from occupied Zhi, back to the heartlands. They were constantly under threat from Imperial harassment, who would incite rebellion in the occupied cities by the retreating Khanate. This drive west to did not stop at lands formally controlled by Zhi, but continued as far as the Wanyi Emperor thought neccersary. The Khanate's main force, once composing 300,000 mainly cavalry forces, has been reduced to 20,435 scavangers. After eight gruelling years of surviving on raiding, cannibalism and endurance, the remnants of the Khan's army returned to Yuan. The Imperial forces called upon six Weishun Banners to "Crush the Invaders", by Imperial degree. In 1623, the Empire expands to it's current size in the west, adding the provinces of Qingyuan, Miatu and Yingcha to the Zhi Dynasty. In addition, for his role in attaining peace, the former Prince of Yuan, who launched a coup to force a Yuan surrender to Zhi, was made Khan of Qingyuan and Yingcha. He accepted, and his Dynasty remains in power today. While Miatu would be governed by a Weishun Amban, till it's occupation by Treko in 2018. The remainders of Yuan fell into anarchy, and a new Khan butchered his way to power later. In 1632, the Wanyi Emperor dies of a mysterious illness. His successor, the Fanxi Emperor decreed that the Zhi is the only legitimate authority in this earth. The Yuan were a corrosive force on civilisation, and thus their institutions were to be purged once more from Zhi society. The Fanxi Era would be marked by widespread retributions against the Yuan people inside of the Imperial territory. The Khan of Qingyuan and Yingcha was powerless to oppose these decisions and many Yuan rallied to the Khan, while he remained loyal to the Court. This campaign of blood would not go unopposed, and eventually the Yuan subjects of Zhi would rise against their new masters in the Yuan revolution. This revolt lasted ten years, and spanned Miatu, Qingyuan and Yingcha. There was no one leader of these revolts, despite the attempts to call the Yuan remnants to war, or to make the Khan of Qingyuan and Yingcha the figurehead leader of the revolt. Instead, the revolt was limited to more high intensity warfare, as the superior Imperial troops put down Yuan rebels at any opportunity, followed by harsh reprisals. Holdouts of the rebellion were extinguished when the Empire moved countless Zheng to these provinces, effectively making them Zhi provinces by force, supressing the ethnic minorities already there. The Khan was rewarded for his loyalty to the Fanxi Emperor. Christianity in Zhi (See also The Zhi Rites Controversy) In 1645, Christianity spread to Zhi. Missionaries from the west arrived at the Empire's gates, and were initially welcomed by the Imperial Court, who found their mannerisms amusing, and their technology intriguing. Fanxi found their council useful in dealing with the intrigue of the Imperial Court. They also helped him analyse the movement of the stars, atronomy, astrology, and some natural sciences. These advancements helped the Emperor perform his rituals more effectively, and boosted his ability to act independently of the eunuchs. As such, he wrote The Imperial Edict of Tolerance and Acceptance in 1647, which stated that Christianity is no threat to Zhi, and will be accepted as though it were Buddhism, or Taoism. This led to the Fanxi Emperor being coronated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Some Christian citizens even believed the Emperor personally converted, though this is denied by the modern Imperial Court and Official Histories of the Zhi. The Emperor died in December of 1660. He is replaced the Xiafin Emperor, who intergrates the Yuan more permanantly into Zhi with cultural and economic protections, as well as the use of the Lama in Nenggao to control the Yuan. Xiafin was extremely popular with his Zheng subjects as well, due to his economic programs aimed at helping the Zheng people achieve economic prosperity. He crafted a special brand of the Imperial examinations aimed directly at the Zheng, and ordered the construction of schools and orphanages for the teaching of Zheng throughout the nation how to speak and read their own language. The Xiafin Emperor would be famed with the first public school in Zhi, named Xiafin Primary, in Peikang. The controversy between the Catholic Church and Imperial practioners of Christianity led to the expulsion of Christian missionaries from Zhi, without direct approval from the Emperor himself. The south of Zhi, who were a lot more in contact with Christian missionaries, were encouraged to convert back to accepted Zhi religions like Confucianism or Buddhism. These policies of anti Christian discrimination only ended in 1881, with the end of the Taiqing Rebellion. The Trekkish Wars and Reform The Empire continues on a path to gradual stability throughout the late 1600s, till border skirmishes with the growing Trekkish Empire lead to a series of violent conflicts. Starting in 1751, Trekkish forces probed the Imperial defenders at Miatu and Yingcha, and the Banners were swiftly deployed to crush the invaders. These invasions usually entangled the small nation of Khaw Si Khaw, itself a result of Zhi refugees hundreds of years earlier. The border wars ended with mutual recognition of each other's borders, during the Taiqing rebellion. Taiqing Revolution Geography, Geology, and Climate Geography Michu is located on the continent of Hezrana, with no territories outside of the continet. It has many island territories in the frozen north that are used to develop secret projects, or as naval bases for the growing desire to match the westerners in naval capacity. The largest of these islands is known as Guangtian, that has an area of 5,069km. Guangtian is a secret weapons facility and naval base that is a relatively open secret for being where prisoners from Radhikivia were taken after the Second World War. The most important factor in the geography of Michu is the vast rivers. One, known as the Kuwon River, runs through the Kuwon province and all the way into Nanyuan, providing food and farmable lands for the South of Michu. Geology The geology of Michu is diverse and depends heavily on the Province. Nanyuan, Xinjan and Xihou are covered in vast desert, known as the Hanji desert. The Hanji desert is the only area in Zhi where there is no Imperial Palace, as the Emperors are generally more used to the cold. There are many volcanoes in Michu, with the most famous being the Nomun Alin Mountain on the border of Aisinhao, that was considered a sacred mountain by the Weishun Shamans of old. It last erupted in 1927, when the Hifuzhou Emperor visited Aisinhao. In Weishun folkreligion, the Yongsheng Ulanara family is called to by heaven to do great deeds with there is an eruption in Zhi. There is a much larger mountain range on the border with Treko, the Zhong Shanmai range. This mountain range is huge, and spans the entire border with Treko, and cuts into Yuan. In the modern era, there was an eruption in 2013 in the Zaoxu Mountain in the Miatu Province, that significantly contributed to the fall of the Zhi, as relieving those effected took a long time. Climate Government and Politics Michu is Constittuional Monarchy, with final authority rested directly in the Empress of Michu (皇帝的幂初). The Empress' role is to control the excesses of the democratic state, protect the rights of the minorities of Michu, and represent the will of Heaven on Etharia. The day to day management and governance of the Empire lies in the hands of the Coalition of Peace, formed in 2018. The Coalition is a united front of the Conservative Loyalist Party, the Michise Liberal Party, and the Red Hooks Party. One is free to pick between any of these three on a local level to be sent to the Celestial Parliament in Peikang, Shaotai Province. These members of Parliament vote on bills in the parliament, and have the most defacto power in the government of Michu. Complicating matters, the Parties have little means to stop rebelling MPs going against the party line. The Empire's Celestial Parliament serves as the legislature. The Upper House of the Parliament is the House of Celestial Lords and Banners, where landed nobility and representatives from the Weishun, Yuan or Zheng Banners act as a revising chamber to any bills passed. Though they are supposed to be impartial, certain members of the Lords and Banners are openly supporting political parties, usually the Conservative Loyalists Party. Time The Zhi Calandar The Zhi Calandar was made retroactively during the Yuan Imperium in an attempt to stir up loyalty to the ancient dynasty. 0岁, or Year Zero, begins as the Great Yongsheng burns the capital of the Yi Dynasty to the ground and pillaged it's loyalists. Modern day (2020) would be Year 4270 (四千二百七十年). Foreign Relations The Foreign Relations in current Michu differ vastly from the Foreign Relations of Zhi. Michu makes only limited use of the tributary system, extolling tribute from Miltanz, Voshtun and occasionally Trekkish Warlords. Michu is also a lot more open to interaction between itself and western nations, though movements in the Empire are trying to reverse this. Yuan (元) Radhkiva (反天国) Zhi was an enemy of Radhkiva since the 1930s, when the Empire started noticing the imperialistic ambitions of the other Hezeranic power. Additionally, racial similarity and refusal to pay tribute has led to the Empire deeply distrusting the Islanders. Zhi watched as Radhkiva's ruling dynasty was replaced by Kanadorika, and was thorougly displeased with the imposition of a foreign backed Monarch to the throne of Radhkiva. Radhkiva intervened in the Red Hooks Revolution to the detriment of Michu, and so the Empire regularly watches the Islanders with scorn. Treko (终西方国) The Historical enemy of Zhi, the Trekkish Empire fought several border conflicts with the Celestial Throne. The devils from the west of the Zhong Shanmai mountain range. Zhi and Treko recognised each other's borders in a treaty in the late 18th century, then Treko intervened in the Taiqing Revolution, though this was resolved diplomatically after the initial attacks were stalled by loyalist militias. The two fought in both world wars, and Treko again intervened in the Red Hooks Revolution, seizing Miatu. Once Michu was established, the Empire lobbied for the return of it's territories. Treko collapsed in it's own revolution in early 2019, and Zhi sent the Dark Purple Banner to reclaim Miatu and punish the invaders. For a few months, the Empire extolled tributes from neighbouring warlords in exchange for tokens of support. In Octomber of 2019, the Celestial Parliament recognised the nation of Drevazyk as the legitimate successor to Treko and ended all hostilities, in exchange for mutual recognition of an independent Yuan, functioning as a buffer state. Isatosha (举止国) The Empire has historically had friendly relations with Isatosha, with limited trade throughout Late Zhi, and Zhi's support for the Monarchist faction in Isatosha's civil war in the 1920s, taking in their Prime Minister and Monarch, who befriended the Hifuzhou Emperor. Isatosha not interfering in the Red Hooks Revolution has boosted the Empire's opinion of them. Kanadorika (海洋商国) The Empire's complicated relationship with Kanadorika has been generally positive. Kanadorika's pressure to legalise Christianity spurred on a wave of liberalism in the 1890s, and the two fought together in the world wars. Kanadorika intervened in the Red Hooks Rebellion and seized Kuwang, though the Empire does not care too much beyond on a strategic level, as Kuwang had developed a distinct culture and were actively commiting terrorism against the Zhi. The Empire imports massive amounts of culture from Kanadorika, particularly films, music and cartoons. Kanadorika holds the unique distinction of being considered above a Kingdom (王) instead, refering to the Emperors of Kanadorika as "The Great Shang of Kanadorika" in respect. Ninhundland (钉懦弱国) Relatively new to the Empire's relations, is Ninhundland Meng Dynasty (蒙朝) The Meng Dynasty is an offshoot of the various Zheng claimants to the Celestial Throne during the end of the Yuan Imperium. While Zhi would restore itself in time, the Meng took to the seas, and managed to colonise the a faraway territory in the New World. Once there, they established themselves as an Empire, that drew many Zheng from Zhi. In 1632, the Mazhou Emperor issued a sea ban, controlling immigration to the Meng. Zhi/Michu does not recognise the Meng as an Empire. They refer to the Emperor of Meng as 王蒙 (King of Meng) Since then, the Empire has sent ambassadors to the Meng, and an awkward friendship currently exists. Khaw Si Khaw (小米) Khaw Si Khaw has historically been a springboard to attack Treko from, but both Zhi and Michu harbour little ill will of the small nation. The Empire was the first to recognise the socialist government in 2019. Nukeantia (小商国) Thenagach (流音乐国) Category:Nations Category:Michu/Zhi Category:Monarchy Category:Parliamentary Democracy